Why is it that some audiobooks have you on the edge of your seat, believing you’re living inside the story, while others leave you out in the cold? Paula Parker—Grammy-winning director—breaks down the art of narration.   

We start with her own story. From singing and collecting quarters and performing in bus-and-truck shows as a child, to acting in professional theater in Chicago and New York and doing voiceovers for commercials, animated series, books, and films.

When their work in audio took off, Paula and her husband, Paul Alan Ruben, founded their company, producing hundreds of titles with the major US publishers. Her keen ear for casting the right actor for the job took Paula to directing the full story with high-profile narrators and celebrities.

She walks us through techniques for connecting performers with the emotional truth of the story, and the thrill of working with actors who relish collaborative discovery, along with the challenges of dealing with actors who don’t. She also covers directing authors—non-actors—when they narrate audio editions of their works.

For actors: We dive into the intimate nature of audiobook performance, and the importance of developing a relationship with the listener. From there, we get into the importance of imagination, vulnerability, and breath, the impact of speed, and the value of honoring punctuation.

For listeners: Paula compares audiobooks to dating. You know if you want a second one with the narrator. When you do, don’t be in a hurry to get it over with—listen at natural speed.

Paula says great actors are like champion stallions and take the listener on the ride.